Piccoli gruppi

The Initial Stage of Group Development

Questions Members Often ask Themselves

Concerns and Fears

Characteristics of Initial Stage

Silence and awkwardness.
High anxiety.
Impatience to "get the ball rolling".
Confusion about what everybody is supposed to be doing.
Storytelling, a tendency to talk about others and focus on people and situations outside of the group.
Central issue is trust vs. mistrust.
Testing of each other and the leaders.
Requests for greater leader involvement.
Cocktail conversations, safe levels of conversation.
Vying for informal leadership.

Some Ways to Start a Group Sessions

Go around the room and have each member state what he/she wants from the upcoming session.
As leaders, share your thoughts about where the group is at, how it is progressing, ways the group might be getting stuck, etc.
Ask members if they have any unresolved feelings or thoughts about the previous session: "Did anyone have any after thoughts or leftover feelings about last week's session?"
Ask, "How is each of you feeling about being here today?"
Have each member complete the sentence, "Today I'd like to get actively involved by"
Announce, "As a way of beginning tonight, let;s have a brief go-around and have each of you say what you'd most like to be able to say by the end of this session."
Inquire of each member: "what were you thinking and feeling before coming to the group today?" or "Whom (or what) are you most aware of in this room right now, and why?"

Some Ways to End a Group Session

Ask members to tell the group briefly what they learned about themselves through their relationships with other members in that particular session.
Ask, "What was it like for you to be in this group tonight?"
Instruct, "Let's do a quick go-around and have everyone say a few words on how the group is progressing so far and make any suggestions for change."
Indicate, "Before we close tonight, I'd like to share with you some of my reactions and observations of this session."
Ask if anybody has any feedback that they would like to give another member or the leaders.
Determine if here are any issues that members would like to return to or explore in the next session.

Planning a group - Practical Considerations

What is the purpose of the group?
What are the specific goals of the group?
What type of group will this be?
What theory will guide the group?
What specific techniques and strategies will be used?
- Can I develop a session-by-session plan?
What therapeutic factors will be emphasized?
To what degree will sessions be structured?
How will I market the group? Obtain referrals?
What will be the cost of the group?
How will I screen/evaluate potential members?
What are the criteria for inclusion/exclusion?
Where will the group meet? What props do I need?
What will be the duration and frequency of meetings?
How many people will participate in the group?
Will the group be open or closed?
How many sessions will the group meet?
Will I use a co-leader? Who?
What will be the group rules? How will these be conveyed?
How will I prepare participants for the group?
What problems can I expect to run into, and how will I deal with those?
How will I handle dropouts?
Under what circumstances will I remove a member from the group?
What paperwork/documentation will be required?
How will I assess outcomes of the group?